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Fresh Semolina Orecchiette
2 cups semolina
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup lukewarm water
makes about 1 1/2 pounds
Orecchiette (little ears) is a specialty of Apulia, in southeastern Italy. This recipe was created to accompany Orecchiette Sautéed Vegetables and Red Pepper Sauce
In a large bowl stir together semolina and flour and form a well in center. Add water and a generous pinch of salt to well and with a fork gradually incorporated semolina mixture until a dough is formed (some of the mixture will not be incorporated).
On a work surface knead dough, incorporating more semolina mixture from bowl as necessary and discard any hard clumps, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Divide dough into 8 pieces and wrap separately in plastic wrap.
Line each of 2 trays with a dry kitchen towel and dust your hands with some semolina mixture. Remove plastic wrap from 1 piece of dough and roll between you hands to create a rope 3 to 4 feet long and 1/2 inch wide. Put rope on a work surface and with a sharp knife cut into 1/2-inch pieces, separating pieces as cut so they are no longer touching. Lightly toss cut pieces with a little semolina mixture.
Put each cut piece of dough, a cut side down, in palm of hand and form a depression by pressing thumb of other hand into dough and twisting slightly. Arrange orecchiette on a kitchen-towel-lined tray. Make more orecchiette with remaining 7 pieces of dough in same manner, transferring to kitchen-towel-lined trays. Orecchiette may be made 2 days ahead and chilled on towel-lined trays,covered with plastic wrap.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the New Man Journey — for men exploring, discovering and activating their New Man inside for the second half. Explore our site, watch for weekly blogs and join the journey — your best ever!
The road to your New Man is rough in spots and not well travelled. It calls for exceptional levels of honesty and humility, and a passionate desire to transform. Are you ready for this? To take on the challenge of making the rest of your life the best of your life?


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Every Sunday I do soccer in the morning for two hours where I run non stop and sweat extensively. After the sport I take a shower and take the bus home, but by the time I get home my dry and clean shirt becomes soaking wet as I keep on sweating.
As the day advances I am starting to get a headache, and occasionally a smallish fever by night. This happens most of the time,and I have yet to solve this issue. Should I wear more clothes? Or change shirt multiple time? I also try to drink a lot, but I have not yet found a 100% solution.


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Thousands took to the streets Saturday across the United States as demonstrations against President-elect Donald Trump continued in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and beyond.
Protesters rallied at New York's Union Square before picking up steam and taking their cause toward Trump Tower. Police set up barricades in front of some of the most expensive stores in Manhattan as the group made its way along Fifth Avenue.
"I just can't have Donald Trump running this country and teaching our children racism, sexism and bigotry," said Noemi Abad, 30, a fashion designer, as she marched down the famous road. "Out of his own mouth he made this division. He needs to go — there's no place for racism in society in America."
Trump's comments — particularly a 2005 recording of him making lewd comments about women — sparked outrage during his campaign. That spilled over into a fourth day of demonstrations following an election that ended with half of U.S. voters choosing the other candidate, Hillary Clinton.
In Los Angeles, several thousand people marched through downtown streets Saturday to condemn what they saw as Trump's hate speech about Muslims, pledge to deport people in the country illegally and crude comments about women.
Jennifer Cruz, 18, of Ventura, California, carried a sign that asked: "Legalize weed but not my Mom?" — a reference to Californians' Tuesday passage of a measure legalizing recreational marijuana use.
Cruz said her parents have been in the United States illegally for 30 years, although her mother has spent years seeking citizenship. She called the possibility of their deportation terrifying.
U.S. & World
"We talk about it almost every day," she said. "My Mom wants to leave it in the hands of God but I'm not just going to sit back and not do anything. I'm going to fight for my parents, even if it kills me."
"He doesn't realize all the families he's hurting," she said of Trump.
Shawn Smith, 41, of Los Angeles, wore an American flag vest and held a glittery sign that said "Love Trumps Hate."
"What he's been able to do is make 50 percent of the nation look over their shoulder," he said. "If you're gay, if you're LGBT, if you're Muslim, if you're Latin, if you're special needs, if you're female, it's a much unsafer place now."
"What is happening today is going to be the normal for a while," he said of the demonstration, "because we're not going to just sit back and watch our rights being taken away, our health care being taken away."
Around 1,000 people gathered in downtown Chicago on Saturday to protest Trump's election victory for the fourth consecutive day. Demonstrators marched on Michigan Avenue and paused briefly near Trump Tower to chant before continuing north toward the Dirksen Federal Building.
Several hundred people have marched through Richmond, Virginia, in a demonstration began at Virginia Commonwealth University on Saturday. Protesters carried signs and chanted "we reject the president elect" and "my fist goes up until Trump steps down."
Similar demonstrations took place in Providence, Rhode Island, Iowa City, Iowa, and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Protests were mainly peaceful, but in Portland, Oregon, a man who was participating in a Friday night march was shot after a confrontation with someone in a vehicle. Police expect the man to survive and detained four people in connection with the shooting. A motive for the shooting was unclear. The four people detained are believed to be gang members, but the victim is not.
The shooting followed rowdy Friday night protests, when police used tear gas in response to "burning projectiles" thrown at officers, police said on Twitter. Hundreds of people marched through the city, disrupting traffic and spray-painting graffiti.
"Going to the streets for another night is not going to keep Donald Trump from taking office. It isn't going to change anything," Portland Mayor Charlie Hales said at a Saturday news conference, NBC affilitate KGW-TV reported.
Still, several hundred protestors took to Portland's streets again Saturday, despite the mayor's words, and police made multiple arrests after protesters threw bottles and blocked streets and light rail lines. The exact number of arrests wasn't immediately available.
Authorities say nearly a thousand protesters marched on the Las Vegas strip sidewalks in an anti-Trump demonstration.
Las Vegas Police Captain Christopher Tomaino said late Saturday that seven people were arrested on charges that they blocked traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard after a vocal but otherwise peaceful demonstration at the Trump hotel.
In other parts of the country, spirited demonstrations on college campuses and peaceful marches along downtown streets have taken place since Wednesday.
Evening marches disrupted traffic in Miami and Atlanta.
Trump supporter Nicolas Quirico was traveling from South Beach to Miami. His car was among hundreds stopped when protesters blocked Interstate 395.
"Trump will be our president. There is no way around that, and the sooner people grasp that, the better off we will be," he said. "There is a difference between a peaceful protest and standing in a major highway backing up traffic for 5 miles. This is wrong."
Protests also were held in Philadelphia; Detroit; Minneapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Olympia, Washington, Iowa City and more.
More than 200 people, carrying signs, gathered on the steps of the Washington state Capitol. The group chanted "not my president" and "no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA."
In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University students sang civil rights songs and marched through campus across a Nashville street, temporarily blocking traffic.
In Cincinnati, hundreds of protesters had already taken to the streets early Saturday afternoon to peacefully protest the jury's deadlock in the trial of a former white police officer who killed an unarmed black motorist in 2015.
A mistrial was declared in the trial of former University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing. He was fired after shooting Sam DuBose in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate last year.
Anti-Trump protesters had joined up with trial protesters and marched through downtown.
In Chicago, hundreds of people including families with small children chanted "No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here" Saturday as they marched through Millennium Park, a popular downtown tourist attraction.
Sonja Spray, 29, who heard about the protest on Facebook, said she has signed an online petition urging the electoral college to honor the popular vote and elect Clinton.
"Women aren't playthings. Journalists aren't pawns. People of color are not commodities. Marriage equality is not up for debate," Spray said.
Ashley Lynne Nagel, 27, said she joined a Thursday night demonstration in Denver.
"It's not that we're sore losers," said Nagel, a Bernie Sanders supporter who voted for Clinton. "It's that we are genuinely upset, angry, terrified that a platform based off of racism, xenophobia and homophobia has become so powerful and now has complete control of our representation."
Demonstrations also took place internationally. A group of Mexicans at statue representing independence in Mexico City expressed their concerns about a possible wave of deportations. One school teacher said it would add to the "unrest" that's already in Mexico. About 300 people protested Trump's election as the next American president outside the U.S. Embassy near the landmark Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
President Barack Obama meets in Berlin next week with Chancellor Angela Merkel and several other European leaders, and is expected to confront global concerns about Trump's election.
Jablon reported in Los Angeles. Associated Press writers William Mathis and Jonathan Lemire in New York, Lisa Baumann and Phuong Le in Seattle, Carla K. Johnson in Chicago, Terrence Petty in Portland, Oregon, and David Rising in Berlin contributed to this report.


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At Midnight Jo all of our spoon necklaces are handmade using actual vintage flatware. This spoon bar necklace is made with a silver plated spoon in the 1935 Narcissus pattern by National Silver Co. The bar measures approx 1 1/4" long. All of our spoon bar necklaces come standard with silver plated chain with a lobster clasp, sterling silver chain is available at an addition cost. Stand out with this original necklace!
Visit our FAQ section
********Note about our flatware jewelry: These are handmade from used spoons/forks, therefore they may show some wear or imperfections. No two items are exactly alike nor are they perfect.
********If you have any questions please feel free to ask!


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New plan, developed in-house, provides for county services when disaster strikes
By Terence Farrell, Chester County Commissioner
Being prepared for all emergencies is a daunting task for those elected officials responsible for the safety and well-being of their constituents but planning for such emergencies is necessary.
Some months ago the county commissioners took steps to develop a Continuity of Operations Plan, known as COOP by those of us who worked on the project. Last week, I'm proud to say, we adopted the base plan. As a member of the task force, I can attest to the hard work by all involved.
All residents, and especially taxpayers, should be pleased with COOP as not only does the plan provide a framework for providing for necessary government services in the time of emergencies, but the plan was developed at quite a tax savings.
When we began the process we asked for bids from outside agencies to perform the work. The cost to engage one of those companies, we discovered, would be several hundred thousand dollars, not an insignificant amount, especially in these days of limited funding for essential services to those county residents in need.
After reviewing the responses from the outside experts, we looked at the abilities of our very capable county staff, especially those who are responsible for the county's Emergency Operations Center, and decided that they could perform the tasks and develop COOP themselves. We were correct. The plan is top-notch and the cost was the work hours devoted to the project by county employees. This was a huge savings.
As for the plan itself, we identified services provided by county government and divided them into four categories. The top priority section dealt with services that need to be functioning within hours of any emergency. Those programs include safety issues, such as 911 and services to the elderly.
We planned for emergencies from a nuisance snow storm that closes county offices for a few hours to a medical pandemic that could disrupt services for a week or longer. A number of circumstances can cause service interruptions, from widespread utility outages, fires, floods, severe weather incidents and wide-spread sickness.
Approval of the base plan provides guidance in organizing efforts, assigning responsibilities and establishing a multi-year strategy including training, exercises and periodic plan reviews. This plan goes along with one already completed by our county judiciary.
By the end of the year a planning team, led by the county's Department of Emergency Services with support from the Department of Computing and Information Services, will complete a plan that includes detailed information needed to restore services should a disruption occur.
Of course it is impossible to identify every possible calamity but Chester County has a base plan to work through issues.
With COOP, it is better to plan and not need it than not plan and, in an emergency, be found wanting. We certainly don't want a catastrophe to strike Chester County but as county commissioners we have to be prepared.
Terence Farrell is a Chester County Commissioner. He may be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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On a business trip, [ch00ftech] visited a Shenzhen electronics market and documented the trip. Some of the attractions included multiple Apple stores of questionable authenticity, stores selling PC components with no manuals, drivers, or packaging, and a variety of LEDs and lasers.
[ch00ftech] showed off the loot from the trip, including breadboards, perf boards, LED matrices, and an RFID reader all for very low prices. There's also the Class 4 laser pointer that cost about $120 and has a power output of "between 500 mW and 8000 mW." Given the 500 mW power restriction on lasers sold in the US, it's fair to say that this thing should be handled with care. Hopefully the included safety classes actually block the specific wavelength of the laser.
The staff in these stores were very knowledgeable and knew part numbers and inventories by memory. One of the biggest surprises was just how low the prices were. While Radio Shack has started to carry some more parts for hackers, it seems that nothing stateside can compare these Chinese electronics markets.


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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — For three quarters, Kyle Trask saw the overthrows and ineffective runs, the penalties and missed assignments. He knew something had to change.
It finally did.
Trask threw three of his career-high four touchdowns in the final period Saturday to rally the No. 9 Gators to a 38-27 win at South Carolina.
Trask, sensing the game slipping away, told his teammates: "This isn't us." He then helped the Gators (7-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) avoid a second straight loss after falling at No. 2 LSU 42-28 last week.
"We found our identity and started making plays," he said.
This season, the identity of Florida's offense is very much in Trask's hands. The redshirt junior, starting because of an injury to Feleipe Franks, has led the Gators to their best start since 2015.
After a week off, Trask will bring Florida to a final, defining stretch with games against No. 10 Georgia, Vanderbilt and SEC East-leading Missouri in the chase for a spot in the SEC title game.
Things didn't look promising through the third quarter. South Carolina (3-4, 2-3) held Florida in check and took a 20-17 lead in trying for its second consecutive win over a top 10 opponent after beating then-No. 3 Georgia in double overtime last week.
"We have a very resilient team," Trask said. "We're never going to panic, no matter the situation."
That was evident in the second half.
After Trask's interception deep in Florida territory led to Tavien Feaster's 21-yard TD run to put the Gamecocks up 17-10, Dameon Pierce answered with a 75-yard scoring run on Florida's next snap to tie it.
In the final period, down 20-17, Trask faced fourth-and-3 on South Carolina's 34 before scrambling from pressure to pick up the first down with a 9-yard pass to Kyle Pitts. Trask followed with the go-ahead 25-yard touchdown throw to Lamical Perine.
Florida's defense also came through down the stretch after the Gators took the lead. Defensive end Zachary Carter sacked Ryan Hilinski, who fumbled as nose tackle Kyree Campbell recovered.
Florida linebacker David Reese said the players were intent on not letting the LSU loss affect them.
"We can't let one loss turn into another," he said.
Trask, who completed 21 of 33 passes for 200 yards, finished the series with a 5-yard TD pass to Pitts before a final scoring pass of 5 yards to Trevon Grimes.
South Carolina looked poised once more shuffle the SEC East race with an upset. But like a year ago, when Florida rallied from 31-14 down to defeat the Gamecocks 35-31, South Carolina could not hold.
"Get the lead in fourth quarter, got to make some plays. We didn't do that," South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said.
Hilinski, who sprained his knee in the Georgia win, was not sharp for most of this game. The freshman completed 17 of 35 throws for 170 yards.
"We've got to find a way to throw the ball better," he said.
Feaster, the Clemson graduate transfer, ran for 175 yards for South Carolina, which was outscored 21-7 in the final period.
Florida: The Gators now have time to recover from injuries and recoup from a two-month stretch of football. Florida gets next week off before starting a run of three straight SEC East games.
South Carolina: The defense gave the team a chance at another stunner. But inconsistency on offense sent South Carolina to its fourth loss to Florida in five years.
Florida was missing two key defenders, both out with ankle injuries — end Jabari Zuniga and linebacker Jonathan Greenard. Greenard entered the game leading the Gators with four sacks. Zuniga has three. Gators coach Dan Mullen was optimistic the two would be able to practice entering the Georgia game in two weeks.
South Carolina's Will Muschamp had grown so frustrated with officiating, he drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. He was angrier still the flag was thrown far from where he stood, saying it was a "gutless" move.
"The guy ran 40 yards away and dropped a flag. I have no idea. I'd rather him drop it on my feet," the coach said.
Florida is off next week before facing No. 10 Georgia in its annual rivalry game in Jacksonville, Florida, on Nov. 2.
South Carolina heads to Tennessee on Saturday.
More AP college football: http://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Stay True Sounds South Africa
At a time when mediocrity and artifice dilute and diminish dance music, Kid Fonque has formulated the
Enter 'Stay True Sounds', a new independent record label that places good taste over hits and longevity over trends. The label's creative agenda is simple: to unearth, nurture and present real, evocative music.
... more
Streaming and Download help
If you like Dear Old Man EP, you may also like:
Bandcamp Daily your guide to the world of Bandcamp


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Cover & Excerpt
Midnight Kiss Book One
Sometimes one kiss can change everything.
New Year's Eve is supposed to be a night for celebration and new beginnings. For best friends Kat and Dean, it is a nightmare filled with disastrous dates and enraged ex-girlfriends!
Lucky for them, they've got each other to help laugh off the embarrassing, and downright inappropriate, moments. But then midnight rolls around and neither of them have anyone to kiss...
There's no doubt this is a night they will always remember.
The real question is whether it will be a night they want to forget...
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 2, 2014
Publisher: Harper Impulse
Excerpt & More
Purchase links:Excerpt:
Kat spun around when her cell phone rang, and the stiletto heel on her brand new shoes snapped, knocking her off-balance. She crashed down on the living room carpet with a loud thump, grunting out a string of vile curses. Her short, sparkly dress twisted around her hips as she scrambled to get up, and a few sequins fell off when she collided with the coffee table. The phone slid off the glass top, bounced twice, and hit the floor. She snatched it off the ground as the last bars of "Tank!" played, brought it to her ear, and winced as the missed call beep blasted her eardrum.
"Son of a bitch," she muttered, and checked the caller ID to see who had caused her all this grief. Dean. It figured. Her eyebrows furrowed. She hadn't expected to hear from him for another few days. He was supposed to be out somewhere swank tonight, spending a very expensive, very exclusive New Year's Eve with his girlfriend, Marine. The more expensive, the better. Marine wouldn't settle for anything less. And she would not be happy if she knew he was calling Kat in the middle of their date. There had to be something wrong.
She slipped off her broken shoes as she called him back, grimacing when she tossed them into the trash can. It was a damn tragedy to have to throw out a cute pair of shoes. This was not a positive omen for the evening.
"Hey, Kat," he answered on the second ring, and the familiar sound of his deep voice made her smile. Dean had a way of always making her smile. He also had a way of getting under her skin and driving her crazy too, but right now it was good to hear his voice. She'd missed him a lot during the Christmas break.
"Hey, yourself." She switched the phone to her other ear and pushed open her bedroom door. Going out tonight was probably a bad idea. She still didn't understand why shewas beginning to regret letting Ron talk her into this ridiculous blind date. If there was any time left to back out, she would have. Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true. She was kind of excited. Curious anyway. She'd been so stagnate lately. It was time to shake things up. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. I just got back and I wanted to say hi."
"Huh-huh," she said, allowing him to hear the skepticism in her voice. This was not a "just say hi" call. Something was up. She could feel it. "I thought you'd be out with Marine by now." She knelt down in front of her closet and pushed her half-unpacked suitcases aside. Her shoulders sagged as she peered into the dark, chaotic recesses. She was never going to find anything in there. Why had she never organized? Maybe that ought to be her New Year's resolution. She dug around and pulled out a pair of red, patent leather Mary Jane's, which she examined and promptly tossed aside. Definitely not right. "What are you guys doing tonight?"
He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Mari and I broke up."
Kat sat back on her heels. That was news—and not the bad kind. The last time she'd seen them together, Marine had been clinging to Dean's arm as hard as usual. Found someone with a bigger wallet, did she? formed on her lips, but she bit the words back. He knew exactly how she felt about Marine. He didn't need to hear it right now. "What happened?"
She heard the phone shift and knew that he was raking his fingers through his thick, curly hair. It was what he did whenever he was upset. "It started out like it always does, you know? She bitched about my job, cried over all the money I was 'losing' by not going somewhere else, and then she got all twisted, went on this rampage about how we can't get married if—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." She shook her head so violently, her hair got caught on a button of the only business suit she owned. She winced as she pulled herself free, ripping out a fair amount of hair in the process. "Please don't tell me you proposed to her?"
"What? No. But it's what she wants."
I'll bet. Marine was no fool. She was entering her late twenties and while she was a working model, she wasn't one of the elite. One day very soon she was going to be nothing more than an old face in a sea of younger, fresher faces. For women like Marine, marrying well became the next logical step. Dean was an excellent candidate. He was young, ambitious, an award-winning designer on the ground floor of a successful boutique web design and marketing firm. He'd already been headhunted a number of times by the corporate giants. If he ever decided to make a move, he'd be able to name his price. And, as an added bonus, he looked great in a suit. "I don't understand. You broke up over that? You guys have had that fight a million times before."
"Well, this time when she left, I didn't stop her." He paused. "I haven't heard from her since."
Good riddance, she almost said aloud. He deserved so much better. "When was this?"
"Tuesday." She heard him sit down on his couch, the familiar creak of the springs in the background. "Right after the holiday dinner."
Kat's mouth dropped open. "Before Christmas? Dean, that was over a week ago! You're just telling me now?"
She could feel him shrug, see his sheepish grin. "You were in California, and I only got back from Colorado last night. There was nothing you could do."
She huffed in reply and dove back into the closet. There was probably something she should be saying, some comfort she should be offering, but he didn't really sound all that upset, and a deep, mean, little part of her was glad Marine was gone. A deep, selfish little part of her actually rejoiced. "So, what happens now?"
He didn't get a chance to answer because Kat yelped as a pile of boxes fell down around her head.
"Kat," he called, his voice sharp with alarm. "Are you all right?"
She couldn't help but smile. She knew without any doubt that he was on his feet, that he'd leapt up the moment she screamed, and was ready to jet over to her place to save her immediately. Sir Galahad had nothing on Dean. Sickening as it was, it never failed to strum a cord way back in the depths of her black, little heart. She wasn't used to people wanting to care for her and every time he did, it left her feeling a bit unbalanced, yet oddly touched. But, no matter how sweet, it was the reason behind most of his problems. He was a sucker for a female in distress—or at least the ones who were convincingly in distress.
"I'm fine," she said, pressing her palm against the side of her head where the corner of a box had struck. She supposed she should have been grateful there was no blood. A great, big river of blood gushing out of her head would only have made the night that much more awesome. "I'm trying to get ready for Ron and Alan's party."
"I didn't think you were going."
"I wasn't." She had intended to stay home and work, maybe have a glass of champagne alone at midnight, but then Ron approached her the day after the holiday dinner with his idea, and she had randomly said yes, surprising both him and herself. A sigh escaped her lips as her gaze touched the disarray spanning out into the center of her bedroom. She should have stuck with her original plan.
Purchase links:
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Imagine Dennis Cutrona's surprise when instead of receiving his first unemployment check this month, he got a bill from the state for $45,339.
The Lawrence man is one of as many as 300 out-of-work Massachusetts residents who are erroneously being told they owe thousands of dollars in overpayments because of what the state Department of Unemployment Assistance calls "data conversion issues" with its new computer system.
Cutrona, 56, who was laid off last month from his electronics assembly job, applied for unemployment benefits July 25 and expected to start receiving $258 a week. But his weekly payments were cut in half, to $129, with the rest withheld by the state to repay tens of thousands of dollars Cutrona says he did not receive.
"I can't even make my rent,'' he said. "I had to go down and get food stamps. I'm just not getting anywhere" with state unemployment officials.
It is the latest in a flood of complaints the Department of Unemployment Assistance has received about the agency's new $46 million computer system, the second phase of which was launched July 1. Last week, the Globe reported that many people were still struggling to file claims online and were frustrated by long waits on phone lines when they sought assistance.
State labor officials said at the time that they had added 80 workers, some of them temporary, to a staff of 150 to handle the high call volume. And Deloitte, the major accounting and consulting firm that created the system, had deployed 80 employees to help out.
But a week later, Cutrona and others say, some of the money they are entitled to is still being withheld. Cutrona said he has spent hours on the phone in a fruitless effort to sort out his claim.
Lauren Jones, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, declined to comment specifically on his case, citing confidentiality requirements. "But when issues are brought to our attention, we address them and rectify them,'' she said in a statement.
After the Globe's inquiries on Friday, Cutrona said he received a call from a senior labor official who apologized for the error and promised to rectify it.
Last week, the Boston Herald reported on a man with a story similar to Cutrona's — he was told he owed nearly $17,000 in overpaid unemployment benefits.
Jones said a claimant may receive an overpayment notice because of fraud, a staff error, or a technological issue. She said the department is reviewing between 100 and 300 notices to determine how many were sent in error. She said Deloitte would be accountable for any data problems.
Deloitte officials could not immediately be reached for comment late Friday afternoon.
The state said about 115,000 ongoing jobless claims and 5,000 new applications are successfully processed each week.
Beth Healy can be reached at email@example.com.


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In my daily online travels, Google News is a regular, recurring destination. Here's a thought about how Google could make the news aggregation site even better, and in the process, make it more indelibly social.
Step One: Formally containerize story 'buckets' and expose (make visible) handles like tags, categories, view count data, ratings and like minds (people who liked this story, also liked that story).
Some of this data Google captures today, some it requires Google either adding UI controls within Google News pages or creating IFrames so that Google can persist a meta-layer around the destination new page (for tagging, rating, categorizing).
Step Two: Integrate this functionality with Google Reader, which probably touches Web history and Bookmarks functions, and invariably gets Google down the path of a deeper, more unified user profile model. The key point here is that while Google does a reasonable job of tracking pieces of this data already, it is overly silo'd and simplistic when it could be integrated in a much more high-value fashion beyond just a consolidated view.
A best practices way of doing this would be to work backwards from what YouTube does with providing filtered views of video data, personalization and social linkage options to consumers, and apply a similar model to third party news sources.
Step Three: Expose APIs to these functions so that third parties, including news publishers, can create applications and web services that leverage the goodness of Google's depth and breadth.
Clearly, not all news sources would opt to participate in all elements of this offering but so long as Google offered an opt-in/opt-out path for publishers, this feels like a natural way to turn consumers into information miners and reward them for their efforts (since they get better visibility to related stories and a path to connect with like minds).
For publishers, it becomes part of a continuing breadcrumb strategy to increase the reach and engagement level that consumers have with their content. Plus, if Google provides access to the underlying APIs that they are using, for smaller publishers at a minimum, it gives them pluggable, scalable tools to make the news content on their home web site both social and transparent.
Arguably, such a model could then be scaled out to Pictures, Documents and other like Google services.
Related Links:
- Social Media - it's about Breadcrumbs and Conversations: a construct for thinking about how social media models work.
- Googling Innovation - Seed, Select & Amplify: on Google's R&D culture.
- The Chess Masters - Google vs. Apple: why Google and Apple are without peers, and destined for a market collision.


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The last two weeks showed exactly why we waited so long to stick a fork in the 2012 Detroit Lions. (And why we probably waited too long.) In back-to-back weeks, they had Super Bowl contenders on the ropes. They outgained the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans, and it felt like the Lions outplayed them both for most of the game. Yet Detroit lost both times.
The Lions have more talent than any team to be forked so far this season, with the possible exception of the Philadelphia Eagles. But the Lions couldn't put it all together and found out how hard it is to go from good to great. Instead, they slid right back to mediocre.
What went wrong
Matthew Stafford is great one week and spraying passes the next. He's up and down from quarter to quarter. It's hard to rely on a franchise quarterback like that. Stafford's mechanics were wacky to begin the season, and the Lions' offense was one of the most inefficient in the league. Stafford is falling in love with the sidearm throw.
A perfect stat sums it up: The Lions are second in offensive yards but just 14th in points. They are great at playing from behind but can't hold on to leads because of their weak running game. The Lions move the ball well but turn it over too much. They are minus-7 in turnover margin, which is 26th in the NFL.
The injuries to running backs Mikel Leshoure and Jahvid Best hamstrung this team, but it's not like Leshoure has solved the problems since returning. He's solid. The Lions need another running back to help him. Receiver depth should have been a strength, but Titus Young hasn't developed as hoped. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew forgot how to catch the ball.
We came into the season expecting the Lions' secondary to struggle, and that has been the case. FootballOutsiders' metrics have Detroit as the 28th-best defense. We did not expect Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch to take a step back. Avril has eight sacks but hasn't provided pressure as consistently. Vanden Bosch looks well past his prime.
The Lions haven't played complementary football. When the defense plays well, the offense falls short (i.e. the first game against the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears). When the offense plays well, the defense can't hang on, like on Thanksgiving. The special teams has been one of the worst in the league and has cost the Lions at least two games. Flip that around, and we're looking at 6-5 instead of 4-7.
What went right
Defensive tackle Nick Fairley has been a vastly improved player since coming off his suspension. We'd argue he's already better than Ndamukong Suh; they form one of the better interior duos in the league.
Detroit's offensive line also has quietly done a solid job. Gosder Cherilus re-shaped his career. It's a little odd that first-round draft pick Reilly Reiff is used as a sixth offensive lineman/fullback, often at the expense of tight end Brandon Pettigrew's playing time. Calvin Johnson also remains Calvin Johnson despite a lack of touchdowns early in the season. Rookie Ryan Broyles shows great quickness and looks like a keeper. This receiver corps remains very dangerous.
The Lions made a number of winning drives under pressure (against the St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks), but they still struggled to finish overall. Nine of their games were decided by eight points or less. The Lions are 3-6 in those games.
What still matters
Stafford has taken a step back this season. It's easy to forget what a young quarterback he still is; his development over the final five weeks with new weapons like Leshoure and Broyles remains important.
Coach Jim Schwartz has to keep the Lions from imploding with more on-field and off-field antics, or it will look like he has lost complete control of his team. The schedule is tough the rest of the way, so the Lions will have to claw just to get to six or seven wins.
What changes are coming?
Schwartz and general manager Martin Mayhew are safe. They built this program up from zero wins and certainly deserve more time. Even at 4-7, these Lions are far better than any Matt Millen team. They do a nice job entertaining us every Thanksgiving.
The Lions aren't far away from being a playoff-caliber team. The larger question is if they truly can be a championship contender. They still have a young core of players that acts too young. It's a franchise that needs to grow up.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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He had it all, just like Bogey and Bacall:
WH defends Obama's Key Largo vacation
White House spokesman Josh Earnest defended President Obama's weekend vacation in Key Largo, despite the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, arguing Obama would be able to monitor events from Florida.
"What the president will be doing this weekend in Florida is essentially what the president would be doing back at the White House. It's just that the weather will be a little warmer," Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Obama still has his pen and his phone. And he still doesn't have any plan, so he might as well be useless down in the Keys.
We file this under "Most Improable White House Claim Ever, Or At Least, Today:
"We have complete confidence the president can handle all the responsibilities he has," Earnest said.


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Here I am, up at 1 am, surrounded by not one, not two, but FOUR different types of cookies around me! Yes!!! I have finally taken this seriously & I'm testing recipes every spare minute I can find, which with work, gym & a social life is almost impossible! So it's the sleep that's getting sacrificed, and honestly, I'm loving every minute of it. Being so busy that you end up collapsing in bed is my form of bliss!
After spending the last two hours researching the ratios & hows & whys of chewy caramel (to use in caramel stuffed cookies), I finally remembered this post that has been pending for 4+ months! I made this cake in one of my random bursts of inspiration & craving. The recipe was actually bookmarked long ago, and my team at work was constantly asking for something after discovering the blog, which is actually kept quite a secret because the follow up question is always - WHY DON'T YOU BAKE ANYMORE??
But one day - maybe I was feeling generous - I decided to do as they wanted & make an indulgent, rich & sinful cake. This cake just went on to prove how much I actually love just stepping into a kitchen & coming out with a delicious plate of trouble in a few hours. I don't know which was more fun, the cake making process, or the happiness when I saw the smiles on the people who ate it, or the taste of the cake itself! The cake is light yet full of chocolatey goodness, and the salted caramel buttercream is something you'd want to take a long bath in, it's that rich while still tasting smooth and dream like. Top it off with a simple chocolate fudge frosting, and you've got heaven on a plate, just like that!
Chocolate Fudge Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream
Recipe from Martha Stewart via Sweetapolita
Yield: Three 6-inch round layers
Serves: 8+
1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
3/4 cup (90 g) dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (190 ml) buttermilk
3/4 cup (190 ml) hot brewed coffee
2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350° F (180°C). Grease & line three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- In the large bowl of your electric mixer, sift together all the dry ingredients. Add all the remaining ingredients and beat until just mixed. The batter will be quite liquidy.
- Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the top feels springy to the touch
- Cool to room temperature on wire racks. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
Yield: 4 cups - You may be leftover with approximately 1/2 cup
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
generous pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks / 340 g / 12 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large egg white
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- First, we have to make the salted caramel to cool and keep aside, ready to add into the buttercream
- In a medium saucepan, mix together 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (130 g) of the sugar with the water. Boil over medium heat. Brush down the sides of the saucepan with a dampened pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Don't stir the mixture at all from now on, you can however, gently swirl, occasionally.
- Remove from heat and carefully add the cream, whisking until smooth. Be careful of the sputtering. Whisk in the sea salt & vanilla, set aside to cool.
- Now it's time to make the buttercream. In the large bowl of your mixer, beat cubes of the butter until pale & fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- In a clean bowl, combine the egg whites & sugar. Place bowl over simmering water, whisking occasionally until the sugar dissolves, reaches 160° on a candy thermometer and the mixture doesn't feel gritty when rubbed between two fingers.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Increase the speed and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 5-6 minutes. The bowl should now be at room temperature. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and add in the beaten butter, one cup at a time, whisking between each addition.
- Using the flat beater, add the cooled caramel, beating until smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
- Your buttercream is ready :) Store in the fridge until ready to use.
For the Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Yield: ~5 cups - You will be leftover with approximately 1.5 cups
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (45 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (90 ml) boiling water
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks / 339 g /12 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (63 g) confectioners' sugar
pinch of salt
1 pound (454 g/16 oz) good-quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- In a small bowl, combine together the cocoa powder & the boiling water, stirring until the cocoa has dissolved
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar & salt using a flat beater, until pale & fluffy - about 5 minutes
- Reduce speed to medium-low and add the melted chocolate, beating until combined. Add in the cocoa mixture and beat until well incorporated.
To assemble:
- Split the layers into halves. Lay the bottom half of a layer onto a cake plate/board. Lay strips of parchment along the sides of the cake to ensure an easy clean up.
- Scoop out about 1/5th of the filling onto the cake layer. Flatten out using an offset spatula. Add another cake layer on top and repeat the process until you have laid out all six layers. Ensure the top layer is the inverted bottom of one of the three cakes, to get a perfectly flat top.
- Crumb coat with a light layer of the dark chocolate fudge frosting. Refrigerate.
- Now ice the sides & top of the cake with the frosting - an offset spatula, a straight spatula & a bench scraper are your best friends during this, as is a good turntable - I use something similar to this.
- Lay on your preferred candy of decoration (I used a Ferrero Raffaello)
- Serve at room temperature


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Steely Dan Announce First Dates of Summer 2014 Tour
Steely Dan will be touring this summer. As of now, only two dates have been announced, but they promised that more will be coming soon.
The official shows are July 17 at Humphrey's in San Diego and Aug. 8 at the Seneca Events Center in Niagara Falls, NY. Tickets will go on sale for the first night on April 5 and April 25 for the second. They have not released any other details, but their tour last summer saw them frequently give full-album performances of 'The Royal Scam,' 'Aja' and 'Gaucho.'
Last July, they hinted at the idea of recording a new album, their first since 2003's 'Everything Must Go' (although Donald Fagen has released two solo records in that time frame) "It's in the air, it really is," said Walter Becker. "It's just a smell now. The next thing is then you taste it, then you start to feel it. You know how this goes."
Steely Dan 'Jamalot Ever After' 2014 Tour Dates:
7/17 -- San Diego, CA
8/8 -- Niagara Falls, NY


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When the average person views Liquified Natural Gas as a dangerous, toxic fuel, liable to explode at the slightest spark, what's an LNG provider to do?
Try wielding beakers and balloons much like Bill Nye the Science Guy might.
That's how Erik Neandross, CEO of Gladstein, Neandross and Associates, demonstrated the safety, simplicity and non-toxic nature of LNG as a fuel to kick off the HHP Summit 2012-Natural Gas for High Horsepower Applications this morning in Houston, Texas.
The summit, which runs though Friday, brings together natural gas producers, engine and equipment manufacturers, and customers in the marine, rail, mining, transportation, earthmoving and power generation companies to take a closer look at this clean, abundant and low cost fuel.
While LNG is chilled to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit for storage and transport and it bubbles and boils and pops when exposed to normal atmospheric temperatures and pressures, its actually safer and less toxic than gasoline and diesel when stored and handled with the proper equipment and insulated containers.
It's also selling at the diesel gallon equivalent of about $1.40 a gallon, according to Neandross.
LNG is flammable, is but only under a tight set of variables. The flame that ignites it has to be at least 1,076 degrees and and fuel-air mixture has to stay within a narrow band of 5 to 15 percent fuel. Neandross demonstrated this by extinguishing a lit cigarette in a beaker of LNG. Gasoline, by contrast bursts into flame at 536 degrees, diesel at 495 degrees. LNG also evaporates quickly, when spilled, leaving no environmental contamination or oily residue (like gas or diesel) and thus no lingering fire hazard.
LNG has the same chemical composition as the natural gas used in home heating and cooking, CH4, or methane, and a long history of relatively safe handling and use. LNG fueling stations do require the use of gloves, closed toed shoes and eye protection, in the event a spill occurs, as the super-cold liquid can cause burns.
Once chilled at an LNG production plant, the gas needs no further refrigeration to maintain it's liquid state. It is shipped and stored in double-walled, insulated containers, and that includes the fuel tanks on trucks, mining and drilling equipment and other industrial applications. No on-board refrigeration is needed for any of the engines or machines that use it.
Built to industry standards, the integrity of these tanks is such that accidental spillage is almost non-existent. Neandross showed several photos of LNG fueled trucks that suffered from collisions and electrical fires that destroyed these trucks yet the fuel tanks maintained their integrity and even allowed for the fuel to be off-loaded from the tanks after the fires and accidents had come under control.


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The Persol 3-D Award of the 68th Venice International Film Festival 2011 will be awarded to Zapruder Filmmakersgroup (David Zamagni, Nadia Ranocchi, Monaldo Moretti), which has been exploring the possibilities of stereoscopic film for many years, for the production of films and installations that borrow the techniques of 3-D cinema and crossbreed them with visual, performing and film arts.
Their pioneering rediscovery and application of stereoscopic techniques, combined with their coherent radical experimentation, makes Zapruder's use of 3D a necessary and never secondary choice of language, with a specific influence on the temporal dimension of the image. Zapruder's independent and carefully crafted approach, combined with their experimental and creative use of 3-D, produce projects of expanded cinema that invite the spectator to plunge into unsettling tactile, visual and sound abysses.
The Persol 3-D Award 2011 will be presented at a ceremony at the Lido during the 68th Festival (31 August – 10 September 2011) which is directed by Marco Mueller and organized by the Venice Biennale, the latter chaired Paolo Baratta.
The Persol 3-D Award – the first international prize of its kind, now being bestowed for the third consecutive year – will be awarded to Zapruder, a group of Italian filmmakers whose work, blending the visual, performing and cinematic arts, is notable for its technique and originality. Zapruder's pioneering rediscovery and application of stereoscopic techniques, as well as their radical and thorough research, makes their use of 3-D a compelling and always intriguing application of a language of such intensity that it affects the image's temporal dimension. The group's independent and artisanal approach, combined with the creative use of 3-D, create expanded cinema projects that invite the viewer to plunge into provocative tactile, visual and sonic depths.
Previous recipients of the Persol 3-D Award have been Joe Dante for The Hole 3D in 2009 and, in 2010, James Cameron for Avatar and Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois for Dragon Trainer (How To Train Your Dragon). The Persol 3-D Award aims to celebrate a new frontier in cinematic language that is attracting increasing creative interest among filmmakers and studios, and is becoming extremely popular among the public. State-of-the-art stereoscopic 3-D films are bringing the movie theater back to center-stage, and has generated talk of a decisive watershed moment in the history of cinema and the advent of a "third cinematographic revolution" (after sound and color). As in previous years, 2011 has seen significant advances in research, and the development of new 3-D equipment. Many leading filmmakers and studios are currently working with stereoscopic 3-D, adapting it to both animated and live-action projects, while a growing number of films are being created and produced for the new generation of stereoscopic 3-D.
Persol is a sponsor of the Venice Film Festival for the seventh consecutive year.
Biographical notes
Zapruder Filmmakersgroup
Zapruder was founded by David Zamagni and Nadia Ranocchi, who were joined in 2001 by Monaldo Moretti. The group has been collaborating with musician Francesco "Fuzz" Brasini since 2006. Starting in 2005, the Zapruder began exploring and applying stereoscopic techniques to the production of films and of installations that recover 3-D cinema techniques. The group designs and builds both stereoscopic recording and projection devices, creating what they define as "Chamber Cinema", a form of tactile and embodied movie-making that is also a kind of disembodied theater. In January 2011 they launched zapruderie.com, a totally anaglyphic on-line gallery showcasing excerpts from Zapruder's stereoscopic production.
The group's work has been regularly shown at leading international festivals and art venues, including Paris' Centre Pompidou, the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, Milan's Triennale, Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin/Madrid, StadtKino Wien, Geneva's Biennale de l'image en mouvement, the Milanesiana, Graz's Steirischer Herbst, and Brussel's Kunsten Festival des Arts. Zapruder has also been involved in important collaborations with Italy's most prominent experimental theatre companies, including Motus, Fanny&Alexander and Romeo Castellucci / Societas Raffaello Sanzio. Among the awards Zapruder has received are: the Werkleitz Award at the 48th Oberhausen Short Film Festival 2002; the Premio Iceberg 2002; the Premio Riccione TTV Performing Arts on Screen 2006; and in 2010 the "Lo Straniero" Prize, an award conferred by the monthly of the same name founded and directed by Goffredo Fofi, which cited the group for "the hybrid and non-commercial nature of their 'chamber cinema', which makes this venture an important example of radicalism and resistance on the national and international scene".
Zapruder is based in Roncofreddo (FC). Other core members are: Mattia Dallara, sound designer; Andrea "Mario" Marini, web and digital effects; and Elena Biserna, press officer.
Zamagni and Ranocchi presented the experimental 3-D films Cock-Crow and Daimon at the 66th Festival, and also participated at the 67th Festival with their first feature-length 3-D film All Inclusive (Italy/Austria) which was not in competition.
Spell – The Hypnotist Dog (2011), written and directed by David Zamagni and Nadia Ranocchi and the first episode of Zapruder's new stereoscopic project SPELL, and Joule (2010), the "other half" of the film All Inclusive which was previewed at last year's edition of the Festival, will be screened during the presentation ceremony. Furthermore, the award ceremony will be opened by the screening of Evolution (Megaplex) (2010), a stunning 3-D video collage by video-artist Marco Brambilla, who has an extraordinary career in genre cinema.
Spell. The Hypnotist Dog
(20', HD stereoscopic/col., 2011)
The story of Oscar, a dog with supernatural powers, and of his master Werner Hirsch, as told by a television crew.
The SPELL project was conceived as a hybrid composition, reflecting the multi-faceted nature of the term from which it takes its title. Spell can refer to an enchantment, a magic charm, but also to a moment, a lapse of time (what meteorology calls a wave) as well as giving the letters of a word in order. The common denominator to all the Spell projects is duality, the double, understood as sharing in a unitary economy. The combination of elements in Spell tends to produce cryptic and solemn events whose manifestation is uncertain or at least dubious. The project is composed of two short films, two audiovisual installations, and a concert/performance.
(22' HD, Col/B&W, 2010)
The "joule" is a unit of energy, work, or heat, and the term is adapted here as a sort of prayer, an exercise in devotion and the act of letting go. In the sequential frames of Joule a daily practice manifests itself in the form of worship, of liturgy; it is an expression of economies and tensions straddling the realms of the political and the sacred.
Joule is part of Chiavi in Mano, a two-faceted project, consisting of two complementary and autonomous wholes, Joule and All Inclusive. Both explore the certain and contradictory relationships between work, giving and sacrifice. The project's effigy is a fish, a perfect example of a living being that can eat members of its own species as long as they are smaller.
Marco Brambilla (director, video-artist)
Born in Milan in 1960, he currently resides in Los Angeles and New York. His career spans the fine arts, film and commercials. He has had solo shows at the Projectraum Kunsthalle (Bern, 2000), the New Museum of Contemporary Art (New York, 2003), the Contemporary Art Forum (Santa Barbara, 2004) and this year at the Santa Monica Museum of Art, besides having his works the collections of some of the most prestigious international museums (the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the ARCO Foundation in Madrid). The New Yorker praised his work as: "absorbing and delicate enough to restore one's faith in the medium". Brambilla makes his work using found film footage that is edited, layered, and spliced to create compelling new narratives and stunning visual mosaics.
Brambilla's multi-layered tableaux of interconnecting images and looped video blend into an expansive landscape that forms his hallmark style. This year he also presented his work in the group exhibition Neoludica, a collateral event at the 54th International Art Biennale in Venice. He debuted in cinema in the '90s with Demolition Man (1993) directing Sylvester Stallone. Later he directed Excess Baggage (1997) with Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro, and Christopher Walken, and the controversial collective film Destricted, presented at Cannes Film Festival in 2006, and directed with Marina Abramovic, Matthew Barney, Larry Clark, Gaspar Noé, Richard Prince, and Sam Taylor-Wood.
Evolution (Megaplex)
(3'40'', 3D HD/col., 2010)
Evolution (Megaplex) is a large-scale video collage which displays the history of human kind, woven together with more than 500 moments from approximately 400 individual epic and iconic Hollywood films into a rich tapestry that scroll horizontally across time. The source material is primarily genre films where historic milestones are interpreted as spectacle; the theatricality of the images presents us with a satirical take on the origin and destiny of Man as told through the lexicon of the "Hollywood" epic.


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Our product catalog varies by country due to manufacturer restrictions. If you change the Ship-To country, some or all of the items in your cart may not ship to the new destination.


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There are a few simple questions to answer before submitting your form over to us so make sure it is as up-to-date as possible so that we are working with accurate information. We'll review your material and contact you with an offer so in the meantime, browse through our new or used inventory or take a few moments to fill out our credit application for even more help with those new payments! Whether you decide to make the trade or want to hold onto your vehicle for a while longer, Vann York Nissan in High Point, NC is simply happy to have been of service!


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2015 Jeep Renegade First Look
Jeepsters, Creepers! The Willys Gang gets an Italian Stepchild
Was that the headless horseman of the apocalypse that just rode by? This has to be one of the signs. Jeep is importing a crossover, the 2015 Jeep Renegade, built in Melfi Italy on a platform shared with the Fiat 500L. But if you can set that fact aside and imagine inhaling the same Lake Erie air new-car smell that a proper Toledo-born Jeep comes with, you might find something to like here.
The interior and exterior styling whops you upside the head with its Willys ancestry, from its Wrangler-esque seven-slot grille and round headlamps, to its upright windshield, square tail lamps, and optional faux-removable black roof option (in fact, the optional My Sky removable roof panels provide much the same open-air feeling). Inside there are "clamp" motifs holding the infotainment system to the center stack, the vents to the dash, the speakers to the door panels, and the shifter to the console. The first is emblazoned with "Since 1941," and the others can all be anodized in accent colors. The floor of the center cubby features a topographical map of Moab. Mama, mia, that's a Yankee doodle dandy!
This is a global product that will be sold in more than 100 countries with (a Jeep record) 16 different powertrain combinations. North Americans will choose between a 1.4-liter turbo MultiAir engine good for 160 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque or a balance-shafted flex-fuel 2.4-liter Tigershark MultiAir II mill good for 184 hp and 177 lb-ft. Both are built in Dundee Michigan, which is practically a Toledo 'burb. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual or an AutoStick-controlled nine-speed automatic, with front-drive standard and a choice of two all-wheel-drive systems dubbed Jeep Active Drive and Active Drive Low. Both disconnect the rear axle when it's not needed to reduce fuel consumption. The latter, standard on the Trail Rated Trailhawk version comes standard with nine-speed and a lower 4.334:1 axle ratio (others get 3.734:1), which pencils out to a 20.4:1 first-gear crawl for hyper precise maneuvering on rocks.
Other off-road capability-enhancing features include Jeep Selec-Terrain, which optimizes throttle, transmission, all-wheel-drive and other system responses for Auto, snow, sport, sand/mud, and (Trailhawk only) rock modes. Hill Start Assist and speed-selectable Hill-Descent Control further enhance the little Jeep's off-road agility. Other Trailhawk features include a 0.8-inch higher ride height for 8.7 inches of ground clearance and unique fascias that provide an approach angle of 30.5 degrees, breakover of 25.7 degrees, and a departure angle of 34.3 degrees. It can also ford 19 inch-deep water. Wheel travel from the fully independent strut suspension, however, is not terribly Wrangler-ish at 6.7-inches front and 8.1-inches rear. We're convinced the Renegade will shame a Buick Encore or Mini Countryman All4 (the other B-class SUVs) offroad, but we remain slightly skeptical of its Rubicon capabilities.
Some 70 percent of the unibody is high-strength steel (more than in any other Jeep), the hood and cross-car beam are aluminum, the rear suspension cradle is fully isolated, and the aforementioned struts feature segment-exclusive Koni frequency-selective damping that can tighten up handling while smoothing ride. The electric power-steering assist is fully integrated into the stability control system, so it can be used to fight crosswinds, road crown, torque steer, and more. To quell noise, the windshield features acoustic laminated glass and the triple-sealed doors are under flush with the body.
It's an undeniably fetching little Jeep, however, and the roster of standard and optional equipment is impressive: Forward Collision Warning Plus and LaneSense Departure Warning Plus (both of which warn, then act if the driver isn't paying attention), ParkSense rear assist and Rear Cross-Path detection (which will stop the car to prevent hitting an object), auto high-beams, trailer-sway control (2.4-liters can tow 2000 pounds), and Uconnect Access, which provides 9-1-1 assist, mobile hotspot, text-to-voice reading of incoming messages, mobile phone-app control of vehicle locking and starting.
The Renegade will go on sale in Europe this fall, with U.S. sales starting shortly after the first of the year. We eagerly await our first taste of the Renegade, and we'll let you know if it goes with ketchup or balsamic. Find more pictures of the 2015 Jeep Renegade on the second page of this First Look, RIGHT HERE.
2015 Jeep Renegade | |
BASE PRICE | $20,000-$27,000 (est) |
VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, FWD/AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV |
ENGINES | 1.4L/160-hp/170-lb-ft turbocharged SOHC 16-valve I-4; 2.4L/184-hp/177-lb-ft turbocharged SOHC 16-valve I-4 |
TRANSMISSIONS | 6-speed manual, 9-speed automatic |
CURB WEIGHT | 3350-3500 lb (est) |
WHEELBASE | 101.2 in |
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT | 166.6 x 71.0 x 66.5 in |
0-60 MPH | 7.0-9.0 sec (MT est) |
EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON | Not yet rated |
ON SALE IN U.S. | Early 2015 |


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Show All Answers
Register online at TN Volunteer Mobilizer. This is a secured website. You will be asked a series of questions that include your street address, date of birth, specialized skills, and a contact number that you can be reached at 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For medical professionals, license number(s) and expiration date(s) will also be needed.This process takes about five to 10 minutes to complete.


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Team Fortress 2 Medic Achievements Unveiled
As noted in our interview with Team Fortress 2 director Robin Walker, though the Medic is the first class to receive new achievements and unlockable weapons, the company plans to eventually grace the other eight classes with additional armament and achievements.
"We're also going to be looking at ways that players can get items other than achievement unlocking," Walker stated. While some of the achievements aren't all that complicated, other are bound to require a careful mixture of time and luck.
The complete list of new Medic-specific achievements follows:
- First Do No Harm: Play a full round without killing any enemies and score the highest on a team of 6 or more players.
- Quadruple Bypass: Heal a teammate who's taking fire from 4 enemies at once.
- Group Health: Work with 2 other medics to deploy 3 simultaneous uber-charges.
- Surgical Prep: Have an uber-charge ready before the setup phase ends.
- Trauma Queen: Deploy 3 uber-charges in less than 5 minutes, and assist in 5 kills during that time.
- Double Blind Trial: Deploy an uber-charge within 8 seconds of a nearby enemy medic deploying his.
- Play Doctor: In a team with no medics, be first to switch to medic after a teammate calls "Medic!" and then heal 500 health.
- Triage: Deploy an uber-charge on a teammate less than a second before they're hit by a critical explosive.
- Preventive Medicine: Block the enemy from capturing a control point with an uber-charged teammate.
- Consultation: Assist a fellow medic in killing 5 enemies in a single life.
- Does It Hurt When I Do This?: Kill 50 scouts with your syringe gun.
- Peer Review: Kill 50 medics with your bone saw.
- Big Pharma: Assist a heavy in killing 30 enemies where neither of you die.
- You'll Feel A Little Prick: Assist in killing 4 enemies with single uber-charge on a scout.
- Autoclave: Assist in burning 8 enemies with a single uber-charge on a pyro.
- Blast Assist: Assist in exploding 5 enemies with a single uber-charge on a soldier.
- Blunt Trauma: Assist in punching out 4 enemies with a single uber-charge on a heavy.
- Medical Breakthrough: Assist in destroying 8 enemy engineer buildings with a single uber-charge on a Demoman.
- Midwife Crisis: Heal an engineer as he repairs his sentry while it's under enemy fire.
- Ubi Concordia, IBI Victoria: Assist in killing 5 enemies on an enemy control point, in a single life.
- Grand Rounds: Heal 200 teammates after they've called for "Medic!"
- Infernal Medicine: Extinguish 100 burning teammates.
- Doctor Assisted Homicide: Assist in killing 20 nemesis.
- Placebo Effect: Kill 5 enemies in a single life while having your uber-charge ready, but undeployed.
- Sawbones: Hit enemies with your bonesaw 10 times in arrow without dying or missing.
- Intern: Accumulate 7000 heal points in a single life.
- Specialist: Accumulate 10000 heal points health in a single life.
- Chief of Staff: Accumulate 10 million total heal points.
- Hypocritical Oath: Kill an enemy spy that you have been healing.
- Medical Prevention: Save a falling teammate from dying on impact.
- Second Opinion: Uber-Charge 2 teammates at once.
- Autopsy Report: Provide an enemy with a freezecam shot of you taunting above their ragdoll.
- FYI I Am A Medic: Use your bonesaw to kill 5 enemy spies who have been calling for "Medic!"
- Family Practice: Uber-charge ten of your steam community friends.
- House Call: Join a game that one of your friends is in and then deploy and uber-charge on him.
- Bedside Manner: Be healing a teammate as he achieves an achievement of his own.
From The Chatty


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Hi guys, we have Brandi Evans popping in today to show off her new release Operation Better Tomorrow, we have a great exclusive excerpt for you to peek at and an awesome giveaway! So check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~
Operation Better Tomorrow
Brandi Evans
The interview of a lifetime.
When Aaron Strickland's assigned to write a feature article on Caleb Douglas, the first openly gay soldier to receive the Medal of Honor, he's over-the-moon. Meet a sexy, real-life hero? Yes, please. And in the weeks leading up to their interview, the former soldier becomes a recurring player in Aaron's fantasies.
A man Caleb can't forget.
Years earlier, lost in the throes of depression and PTSD after an ambush left his body and soul scarred, Caleb was on the brink of giving up when a magazine article changed his life forever—an article written by Aaron. Emerging from the depths of his pain, Operation Better Tomorrow—part homestead, part halfway house for those down on their luck—was born.
Tragedy lurking on the horizon.
As the days pass, Caleb and Aaron's tragic pasts bind them in ways they aren't prepared for, but it also leaves them vulnerable. Pushing forward means breaking down walls they've built to protect themselves, and just as they're poised on the precipice of happiness, a darkness descends on the homestead, a hatred that will leave one man clinging to life and the other willing to risk everything to save him.
Exclusive Excerpt!
Resisting the urge to follow Aaron, Caleb unlatched the wicker picnic basket from the left saddlebag, grabbed the thick blanket from the right, and traipsed deep into the waist-high colors. Blues, purples, and yellows dotted the greenery and swayed in the late-summer breeze. The meadow smelled sweet and made him think of peace and tranquility. The area, along with Aaron's article and daily meditation, were the best anti-depressants Caleb had ever had.
He set the basket and Aaron's bag down and unfolded the blanket. Considering the height and density of the flowers, laying out the cloth was an exercise in frustration management. A step-and-tug here, an expletive or twelve there, he inched the material down until he created a makeshift hideaway.
Before taking his seat and disappearing into the overgrowth, he glanced around until he found Aaron. The other man was zoomed in on a yellow bud, and Caleb smiled. He liked the idea of sharing this place with Aaron. It was the perfect backdrop to delve into his pain.
He unclipped his walkie and set it on the corner of the blanket before dishing food onto the thin, floral plates that had come with the basket. Thick turkey sandwiches with blue cheese and fresh tomatoes, fruit salad, and oven-baked green bean crisps—green beans drizzled with olive oil, salted, peppered, and then baked until they were crispy. To complement the meal, he'd chosen a Château Timberlay Bordeaux. It wasn't a full-on red, but it had a deep, lush flavor he really liked.
He uncorked the bottle, removed one of the wineglasses fastened to the inside of the—
"Oh, God, Caleb. Don't move."
Caleb froze, Aaron's soft command triggering an ingrained response from his Army days. When a commander told you to freeze while on patrol, you fucking froze. Period.
No debate. You obeyed or you could die. But what danger was there out here? Had the other man seen a snake or something?
"Don't move a muscle." Click. Click, click. "It's breathtaking."
Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. Aaron was just taking pictures. "Aaron—"
"Shh." Click, click. "Not even a muscle. This shot's gorgeous. You're fucking gorgeous. I can't… Your profile's…" Click, click. Click. Click. "Oh my God, look at yourself."
Caleb turned toward Aaron's voice as the other man emerged from the flowers and crawled onto the blanket in an awkward "three-legged" motion, holding out his camera. Blades of grass and broken flower petals stuck in his perfectly messy hair, and his smile was eight times more breathtaking than any Caleb had ever seen. The intensity, the passion on Aaron's face, matched what was stirring inside him.
Aaron settled beside Caleb and held the camera so they could both see the screen on the back, but Caleb couldn't take his eyes off the man beside him, watching Aaron as he looked at Caleb's image on the screen. The pleasure on Aaron's face, as cliché as it was, stole Caleb's breath, and when Aaron turned his head, Caleb captured that incredible mouth in a quick, hard kiss.
Caleb pulled back and drew his thumb over the bottom lip he'd just claimed. "Thank you."
Aaron's eyebrows drew together. "For what?"
"Just…thank you." Caleb tapped his lips to Aaron's again and then forced himself to pull back before the moment spun out of control. He wanted Aaron, but doubt was malevolent, constant. The idea of exposing himself at all was terrifying, but here, in the open, in the light of day, it positively petrified him. Not out here. Not like this. But if ever there was someone to take a chance on…
About Brandi
Brandi Evans was raised by a caravan of traveling Gypsies. She spent her days learning the ways of her people and her nights lost in legends as old as time. Okay, not really, but that's way more interesting than the truth!
In reality, Brandi grew up the oldest child of an ordinary family. Grade school, middle school, high school. Nothing extraordinary happened until she left the nest. She joined the military, went to college, got married, and became a mom. And somewhere along the way, she discovered she liked to read—and write!—stories hot enough to melt eReaders.
These days, she calls The Natural State home where she lives with her hubby, two beautiful daughters, two dogs and a cat who has yet to realize she doesn't own the place. Soldier. Wife. Mom. Multi-published smut writer. Brandi's life might not be "traveling Gypsy" interesting, but she's had fun. And in the end, isn't that all that really matters?
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads


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October 9., Sunday 11:00
Ballet in three acts
- Location
- Hungarian State Opera
- Date
- Oct. 9, 2022
- Start time
- 11 a.m.
- End time
- 2:10 p.m.
We still do not know today with utter certainty what actually happened on that freezing January morning in the Mayerling Castle hidden in the Vienna Woods, probably because all evidences related to the death of the two lovers were erased with the greatest care by the imperial court. Was it a romantic suicide? Could it have been a drunk fight, or did the heir apparent to the throne of Austria-Hungary and his lover, Mary Vetsera fall victim to a political assassination driven by dark intentions? The broken political marriage of Crown Prince Rudolf and Princess Stephanie of Belgium, the liberal views of the prince, his constant conflicts with his father, Emperor Franz Joseph, and feeling unloved by his mother certainly all contributed to the tragic ending of Mayerling. The journals and letters paint a picture of a bohemian, fickle, often insolent crown prince, whom they wanted to force to leave a young girl obsessed with him so much that she was willing to give up her life for this love.


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Greenville is located in the northwest corner of South Carolina, approximately halfway between Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina.
The area, commonly referred to as the Upstate, includes Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Pickens and Spartanburg counties as well as the cities of Anderson, Clemson, Greenville, Greer, Simpsonville and Spartanburg.
Greenville County is South Carolina's most populous county with more than 470,000 residents. Approximately 61,000 live within Greenville's city limits. View Facts and Figures about Greenville for more information.
Greenville's moderate climate offers a full change of seasons, with an average annual temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Greenville offers mild weather throughout most of the year. July is typically the warmest month and on average January is the coolest. Greenville is known for its milder summers when compared to other areas of the south.
City | Distance | Travel Time |
Asheville, North Carolina |
63 Miles |
1 Hour, 15 Minutes |
Atlanta, Georgia |
145 Miles |
2 Hours, 25 Minutes |
Charleston, South Carolina |
210 Miles |
3 Hours, 20 Minutes |
Charlotte, North Carolina |
100 Miles |
1 Hour, 45 Minutes |
Columbia, South Carolina |
103 Miles |
1 Hour, 40 Minutes |
Spartanburg, South Carolina |
29 Miles |
35 Minutes |
International Center
The International Center of the Upstate (ICU) welcomes local and international residents and provides opportunities for people to learn about other cultures. ICU offers programs, language classes, workshops, and social events for Upstate residents. ICU also serves as a liaison to all international groups in the area and provides business consulting services for international companies and employees.


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One person was killed when a light aircraft crashed in a village and narrowly missed a row of houses, police said.
Emergency services went to the scene at Aldham near Hadleigh, Suffolk, after a member of the public called police reporting that the plane had crashed into a tree and then became submerged in a pond.
Dennis Hill, who owns a property near the crash site, said the plane narrowly missed his house and several others as it plunged to the ground.
He said: "The plane flew across the fields and into the tree, before falling into the pond. My sons went to investigate, but our property was not damaged and it crashed two or three properties up from ours. The police and reporters are all still down there."
Mr Hill, who runs the Rose and Crown Inn in nearby Elmsett, added: "I think the pilot died on impact. There's an airfield nearby, but he was way off track. It's like he was trying to land, but you've got fields and hedges in the way. We lost our electricity for about 30 minutes, but it's still off in Aldham."
The crash occurred near Aldham Street, a short distance from Elmsett Airfield. It is not clear whether there were any further casualties.
Air accident investigators are at the scene.
An area around the location has been cordoned off, and police, fire and ambulance emergency services remain at the scene.
Details of the aircraft, pilot and any other persons on board are unknown.
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) spokesman said: "The AAIB is aware of the incident and has sent a team to investigate the light aircraft accident near Ipswich."


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About Our Water Department
Administrative/Billing Division
The Administrative/Billing Division provides support services for the Water Department, but mainly performs the billing and collection functions for:- Water
- Sewer
- Waste collection
- Sewage treatment (performed by the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District)
- Storm water
Distribution Division
The Distribution Division is charged with operating and maintaining more than 180 miles of water mains, reading and maintaining more than 17,000 services and meters, and providing customer service. These activities include:
- Hydrant flushing
- Installation and repair of all water meters
- Installation and repair of services and curb stops
- Meter reading
- Supervision of the installation of new water mains, repair of water mains, valves, and hydrants on a 24/7 basis
- Various customer service activities
Treatment Division
The Water Treatment Plant has a design rate of 9.6 million gallons per day. The source of supply for the short term is just under 10 million gallons per day provided by 12 wells. This is the total combined pumping capacity of all the town's wells.
Also included in the Treatment Division is the Laboratory, which performs the sampling and testing required by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and provides the quality control and quality assurance testing.
The Treatment Division's responsibilities include the operation and maintenance of:
- Lime softening treatment plant
- 12 wells
- Four elevated tanks
- One ground storage reservoir
- Three booster pumping stations
Activities of this division include the operation of the Water Treatment Plant on a 24 hour per day, 7 day per week basis as well as the repair and maintenance of:
- All wells
- Booster pump stations
- Elevated tanks
- Telemetry equipment
- Treatment plant equipment


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Research conducted at UCLA with scientists from Washington University in St. Louis and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute has made an interesting discovery about Propionibacterium acnes that may affect the prevention and treatment of the disorder. In a Journal of Investigative Dermatology article, the researchers identified that some strains in the bacteria caused acne, whereas other strains resulted in healthy skin.
To compare the skin microbiome at the strain level and genome level, the researchers sampled the pilosebaceous units of 49 acne patients and 52 healthy individuals by removing P. acnes bacteria with OTC pore strips. After extracting the microbial DNA from the strips, the researchers tracked a genetic marker to identify the bacterial strains in each volunteer's pores and recorded whether the person suffered from acne. They then cultured the bacteria from the strips to isolate more than 1,000 strains.
Metagenomic analysis demonstrated that although the relative abundances of P. acnes were similar, the strain population structures were significantly different in the two groups. Certain strains were highly associated with acne, and other strains were enriched in healthy skin. Washington University scientists sequenced 66 previously unreported P. acnes strains and compared 71 P. acnes genomes, enabling researchers to identify genes unique to each strain that are associated with acne or healthy skin.
The researchers found two strains of P. acnes that appeared in 20% of those with acne but in few healthy skin individuals. In addition, they found a third strain that is common in healthy skin but not found in acneic skin. The researchers believe the third strain may defend the skin from harmful acne bacteria and may be used as a future skin care target to prevent or treat acne.
Future plans for the researchers include identifying materials that can kill the bad strains of P. acnes while preserving the good strains, and they may investigate a probiotic cream to do this. They also plan to look into viruses to kill acne-related bacteria and to develop a skin test to predict whether an individual will suffer from harsh acne.
The researchers emphasize that this study demonstrates a previously unreported paradigm of commensal strain populations that could explain the pathogenesis of human diseases.
The research was supported by a grant (UH2AR057503) from the National Institutes of Health's Human Microbiome Project through the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Co-authors from UCLA include: co-first author Sorel Fitz-Gibbon; Bor-Han Chiu; Lin Nguyen; Christine Du; Minghsun Liu, MD; David Elashoff; Jenny Kim, MD, PhD; Anya Loncaric; Robert Modlin, MD; and Jeff F. Miller of UCLA. Other researcher included Erica Sodergren of Washington University; and Marie Erfe, MD, of LA BioMed.


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The Artist
Mean Mary James
'Mean Mary' James, a Florida native now based in Nashville, began life as a musical prodigy—could read music before she could read words and co-wrote songs at age five. By age seven she was proficient on the guitar, banjo, & violin, and entertained audiences across the US with her vocal and instrumental skills.
Her life has been one long road show interspersed with TV, radio, and film. She has performed more than 500 live TV shows and over 4,000 road shows—including national festivals, fairs, cruises, colleges, theatres, clubs and house concerts.
Mary came into the studio this past summer and we had a blast recording her show. I am certain you also will have a blast listening to it.


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Heroes Wanted
Greenville - It's All Here
Greenville, SC is a world-class city that still understands the meaning of community. Its robust business climate, thriving arts and entertainment scene, abundance of natural amenities and unparalleled quality of life have earned Greenville national recognition and countless awards. Halfway between Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC, Greenville is located in the northwest corner of SC, in what is commonly referred to as the Upstate. It is the sixth largest municipality in SC, with an estimated population of 61,915 in a 28.8 square mile area.
Greenville's cost of living is consistently lower than the national average, which sets it apart from peer cities, and the area's moderate climate and diversity of housing options contribute to its appeal as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States.
In addition to being the cultural, arts and entertainment epicenter for the Upstate region, Greenville's location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains provides outdoor enthusiasts with access to endless recreational opportunities. Greenville is also home to two of the Southeast's best healthcare systems, as well as the highest achieving school district in SC.
The Only Thing Missing is You
Maintaining a safe and secure community is a fundamental service of city government, and one of the most compelling benefits of living in Greenville is the superior service provided by the Greenville Police Department and the Greenville City Fire Department. This is your chance to join a dedicated team of public safety professionals who are making a difference every day in the city of Greenville.
Police Officer Recruits
For more than 170 years, the Greenville Police Department has provided law enforcement services for the city, including a full range of crime prevention services, crime mapping and analysis and community outreach efforts to foster positive relationships and open lines of communication with Greenville citizens. The department has maintained national accreditation by the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies since March 1995.
Visit the City of Greenville Police Department | Become a Police Officer
Established in 1840, the Greenville City Fire Department (GCFD) is an "all hazard" department, providing services ranging from fire prevention and suppression to emergency medical services, technical rescue and hazardous materials mitigation. GCFD is comprised of three major divisions: Fire Prevention, Operations and Services. The department has a Class 1 ISO rating and is internationally accredited through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI).
Visit the Greenville City Fire Department | Become a Firefighter


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Regional Technical Support for Communities and States
NEEP is designated by the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs to provide technical support to states and local communities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. As part of our overall engagement with states and communities, NEEP works to disseminate U.S. DOE guidance materials and other resources on best practices in energy efficiency policies and programs.
NEEP regularly directs state and local government officials to U.S. DOE resources that can inform their energy efficiency initiatives. Many of these resources are also featured in our presentations, factsheets and whitepapers, and are linked on our state policy pages and energy efficient building pages, and in the Resources section at the right of this page
SEE Action Network
The State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) is a project of the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that advances state and local investment in energy efficiency. Topical working groups include stakeholders and experts from across the country representing state and local governments, associations, business leaders, non-government organizations, and others. Several NEEP staff members have served on the SEE Action working groups, representing the interests of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region and helping to both inform and be informed by the SEE Action efforts.
SEE Action's website features whitepapers, case studies and other materials that can help states design the policy framework and efficiency programs based on national best practices and expert research from the foremost subject authorities in the nation. There is sector-specific guidance for residential, commercial and industrial programs, and pages on regulatory issues, complementary financing, evaluation, measurement and verification, energy data access, and combined heat and power.
State and Local Solution Center
The State and Local Solution Center is intended as a one-stop shop on energy efficiency and renewable energy. It provides community and state policymakers and stakeholders with resources to advance successful, high-impact clean energy policies, programs, and projects. By championing state and local leadership, addressing specific market barriers, and promoting standardized approaches, the Solution Center aims to help states, local governments, and K-12 schools take clean energy to scale in their communities.
The State and Local Solution Center supports the U.S. Department of Energy's State Energy Program, Weatherization Assistance Program, and the Better Buildings Initiative. Guidance materials include:
- Developing and implementing a clean energy plan, and how to pay for it;
- Building energy benchmarking and data issues;
- Energy savings performance contracting; and,
- Outdoor lighting, among others.
NEEP is pleased to help interested parties access and interpret the wealth of helpful resources from the Department of Energy and its partners. If we can be of assistance, please contact Arah Schuur.
FEATURED RESOURCE SEE Action Report: Understanding the Value of Energy Efficiency Financing Programs Funded by Utility Customers Making it Count: Understanding the Value of Energy Efficiency Financing Programs Funded by Utility Customers lays the groundwork for a dialogue to explore regulatory and policy mechanisms for ensuring that efficiency financing initiatives provide value for society and protection for consumers. Through case studies of Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, California, and Maryland, it explores emerging issues that jurisdictions will need to tackle when considering an increased reliance on financing, including: 1. Can financing be placed in a regulatory context that would preserve accountability while providing sufficient flexibility to program administrators and customers? 2. Can the tools that have been used to screen traditional EE programs for cost-effectiveness and assess potential savings and impacts be adapted in ways that make them work for EE financing programs? Access the report here. |


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The Food and Drug Administration has given the first OK for a drug to prevent HIV infection.
The daily pill Truvada, made by Gilead Sciences, combines two medicines that inhibit the reproduction of HIV. It's been a mainstay in the treatment of HIV/AIDS for years, and as of today is an approved option for reducing the risk of HIV infection for people at high risk.
The drug was approved for people who test negative for HIV infection. It's supposed to be used in combination with safe-sex practices, such as using a condom, to reduce infection risk. "Truvada alone shouldn't be used to prevent HIV infection," FDA's Dr. Debra Birnkrant said in a media briefing.
People taking Truvada should be tested for HIV infection every three months, so treatment can begin promptly if an infection has occurred.
An outside panel of experts had recommend the agency take the action after concluding that the benefits to healthy people vulnerable to HIV infection outweigh the risks, including such side effects as kidney damage and a dangerous increase in acid in the blood.
About 50,000 people in the U.S. become infected with HIV each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of new infections are in gay or bisexual men.
Birnkrant said the steady rate of new infections showed that more options are needed to reduce transmission of the virus. "Truvada for pre-exposure prevention represents another effective evidence-based approach," she said.
But the cost for prevention isn't trivial. The annual tab for Truvada ranges from about $11,000 to $14,000.
In an interview with Talk of Nation's Neal Conan in May, the National Institute of Health's Anthony Fauci, said of Truvada, that it's "an important component of the broad tool kits that we do have for prevention."
He acknowledged the risks, such as side effects, and the possibility that some people taking the drug might engage in riskier behavior because they think they're protected.
In response to a question about that from NPR's Richard Knox today, FDA's Birnkrant said studies of Truvada for prevention found an increase in condom use over time — not a drop. (Listen to Knox's story on Monday's All Things Considered for more.)
During the Fauci interview conducted shortly after the expert panel recommended FDA approval of Truvada for prevention, he said, "I agree with the advisory committee strongly that when you balance the benefits of this, making this available, to the risks, ... the benefits far outweigh the risks, although you must take seriously the potential downsides of it and be prudent in your use of this."
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.